Easter Basket Ideas

Love the idea of an Easter Basket, but not sure what to put in, or you’re running out of ideas? Well, then read on!

We’re steadily hopping down that bunny trail all the way to Easter. If fact, do you realise, it’s NEXT week?! Well, it is, and despite how much all the stores’ well-merchandised and prettily stocked shelves would like to remind me, it actually only hit me this week just how close we are!

So in my efforts to have all my shit together this year, and not scoot around the house like a maniac the day before,trying to remember where I stashed all the eggs, and fluffy bunnies I bought, and where last year’s baskets were actually “stored” this time, I started getting our Easter goodies together in Feb already.

Little too soon? I don’t know, hey. I freakin’ love holidays – all of it – but somehow, I’m usually a bit slower
with prep for Easter. For instance in our home, the morning Easter hunt usually involves the girls finding and then following ol’ E.B’s footprints that he clumsily left behind, all the way to the lovely basket of goodies that he brought for them. But every single damn year I forget where I put those footprints! And because I tend to only remember this when the print stores are all closed on Easter Saturday evening, I then lovingly resign myself to hand-drawing and cutting them out. Talk about sucker for punishment, eh! I then, on cue, vow to remember where I put them for next year – often ending with a “this year, I’ll be more organized!” But guess what I’m currently looking for right now? Oi.

So ya, I dont think it’s too soon at all, given my checkered past. I’m hoping that this year, if I’m better prepared, I’ll be able to relax some more, and maybe even get more sleep – as opposed to Van-Goghing my night away on bunny-footprints!

None of it is necessary, though. Honestly, none of it. Not the Easter bunny, not his make-shift footprints, the egg hunts or the books..ok, wait, maybe the books are, and could pretty much pass as a staple – they help teach the meaning of it. But in the grand scheme of Easter, it’s all fluff and fun really.

But what’s wrong with a little bit of fun!?
As I mentioned to one of my readers the other day in the comments over here, that life is already not short of negativatey, so let’s grab every opportunity for fun and laughter that presents itself…Even the smallest of ones, and just RUN with it! Besides, in this case, fun creates a bit of a buy-in for your tiny little stakeholders in question. And what better way to encourage learning, and create interest and curiosity around Easter for the children, than with some fun?

And nothing screams fun like Easter egg hunts and Easter baskets!

So if you’re like me and trying to get yourself together for Easter and are maybe looking for some ideas on what the dickens to pop inside those Easter Baskets, then check out my list below for a little bit of inspiration.

I wrote this guide last year actually, but ran out of time to post it. You know, I actually want my stuff to be of use to all you lovely readers. So this year, I thought I’d get my butt in gear, update it and get out to you ASAP!

So, here you are, my quick guide to Easter Basket Ideas for kiddies:

1. Bunny Ears: Every single year it’s in there. No matter what. Whether it’s recycling the one’s from last year, or scoring new ones – its always in that basket! Crazy store always has them – price has gone up a bit this year (R34), but they last quite well. However, you can score a bunch at China Town stores, if you’re one of those lucky ones to be able to trot around town.



2. Books:
Without fail, its in there every year. It’s more of a must-have than those dang bunny ears. But it depends on who you ask. My girls could call it almost even-stevens. This is one of our best tools in trying to convey the message and story of love and Jesus that sits with Easter. Easter is quite a heavy tale to tell, and if you tell up straight from the bible, one can never be too sure how well it goes over. Especially at a young age. ( I mean, my girls are four and two now). The authors in these books however, have taken care of that think work for you,now all you have to do is read it to them and use the books as tools in teaching it to them. Besides, any time that is story time with the kids is a wonderful time!


For a nice guide on what are some of the best Easter books out there, check out my personal Easter books choice guide over here.

3. Carob homemade bunnies:
Maybe you think I have too long a stick stuck up my bum about this, but dude, enough with the sugar overdose already. Yes, it’s Easter, and yes I know they’re going to score a truck load of chocs on the day. Well then, all the more reason why I prefer to reduce the throughput by not adding (too much) to it myself. So, say hello to carob “chocolate” eggs.

Tastes fine, looks oh so fine, and fools them just fine too. The sugar content is also pretty fine – a bit lower than the average chocolate.I’ll take that “bit” with both hands, thank you!

Come Easter, it becomes a bit of a sugar fest. Whilst every single chocolate egg is appreciated, and there’s no stopping it, I want to try and limit the amount of sugar that my kids do get exposed to…Of course, they are not living in a bubble, and are aware of what is out there, so I’m fooling myself by even thinking of avoiding it. But while I still have control over this, I shall exert it as far as I fairly can.
For a quick how-to make a carob easter egg, check here.

4. Easter Bunny crunch: If a little sugar is still what you’re after, or maybe you want more control over how much sugar in a treat, then maybe these are just what your kids are “hopping” for. These little cuties I first made in Easter 2014.


I had a very tiny & clingy Parker-Grace on me, with little to no time to go do Easter shopping, but I had a bunch of “stuff” at home. So I whipped up these for my buddies’ kids. It’s perfect for a fun brekkie, with just some added milk. Or can just be a little treat eaten just as is. Its perfect for those kiddums who love soft and crunchy bites. For the how-to, go check it out over here.

Ok, I know. I’m going to sound slightly bipolar here with the next one, but yes, also:
5. Chocolate Eggs You’re not short on choice at the stores with this one. So if you’re still going all in to dig into that sugar pot – I’m not the sugar police, I swear – then by all means go ahead. And to prove to you that I’m not the sugar police, I’ve scouted out some of our favourite little easter bunny chocolates out at Woolworths. And they are cute!




Hotcross bun eggs;Rocket Shaped Egg Tin;Bunny Bags;Chocolate laying Chicken;Finger puppet bunnies iwth chocolate eggs; Pin wheels with eggs

6. Bath crayons/Crayon Soaps: I don’t know what it is about these that make me buy them all the time. The concept is just too cool for me I suppose. And maybe I feel like my childhood was slightly robbed of this joy, as it wasn’t yet invented then. But whatever it is, my kids do find Bath Crayons fun, and Easter is the perfect time to restock them!

However, if mess is just not up your hapy isle, and I get that, then why not try these Crayon-shaped soaps instead? Still super cute. I bagged these babies atthe Crazy Store for about R30.

7. Soft toy – Plush toys are quite pricey these days, so whenever I do find ones at good prices, I buy ’em in a snap.Like these pretties.


I bought them last year at Clicks, but then forgot where I stashed them –so typical. But they never go wasted, and will definitely be making their way into the Easter basket this year. (I’ve made a note on my phone this time, as to where Im keeping them!) You can find more cute plushies at Crazy Store for a bargain! And by bargain, I just mean better priced than that which you see in your bigger stores.(R89)

8. Easter Bunny Ceramic paint kits My girls go absolutely gaga over painting. And then to paint an actual ceramic figurine? Heaven, you’d swear! I scored a bunch of these also at The Crazy Store last year, but they should have similar stock this year too.

9. Edible Candy Paint eggs So,to a kiddy, what’s cooler than candy eggs and the option to paint? EDIBLE CANDY PAINT for CANDY EGGS, that’s what!! 🙂
Not only was this a part of the basket, it was also an activity after our Easter feast at my mom’s that kept the kids busy for quite some time.




Edible Candy Paint Eggs


Once more, Crazy Store came through with these at ridiculous prices.

10. Hop, the movie: The cutest bunny as it’s main star, who is destined to take over the family business of Easter Bunny’ing. If you haven’t seen Hop yet, this would be the perfect time to pop this DVD into the basket. So dang cute and will have you bobbing your head and shaking your touche for days.

Speaking of “hop”…Let me introduce you to the new line of beauty products just released by:

11. Hop Scotch: in collaboration with the Fairies of Scotland, manufactured in the mystery Bunny Burrow, the Easter Bunny has just released his latest addition to his current line of beauty products for kids!

Last year, he brought the delicious chocolate smelling hand wash.(Not really chocolate, it was my cocoa shower wash from Body Shop – closest thing to chocolate I suppose.) I got the idea from how enthused my girls were with one of Morgy’s old gifts, a Hello Kitty Handwash. They were super proud of it being especially for them, just for them. (And not the regular boring stuff mommy and daddy use- pfft!) They also love digging into my Body Shop goodies.(Stop it!) So I put the two together and it was a hit. Not that Pax needs much reason to wash her hands…she will make a reason if need be. Our #waterwise strategies are really not hitting home with her.




Yes, kill me, I copied the name straight from the movie! Whatever. It works, ok.

But this year, the Scottish fairies are infusing some of the burrows’ creamiest lotions with a little bit of magic! Magic fairy dust to be precise!

It’s a long and magically complicated process as you can imagine, but it basically boils down to:Taking some of your kids’ favourite lotions, pouring it into a ziplock and tossing in 1 to 3 teaspoons of (edible or fine/non-toxic non-edible) glitter, errm…I mean, fairy dust.Of course! Only the finest fairy dust sourced from the Scottish Highlands! Use your fingers to squish and mix glitter in, then cut a hole in the corner of ziplock and squeeze into a travel size bottle. Label it, and now it’s totally legit! You can use my label over here, if you want.


Or if you want to recreate the Hop’s Chocolate Handwash line of last year, simply decant some Cocoa Shower Cream (I used Body shop, but you can use any brand you prefer) into a travel size squirt bottle. Slap on this label here, et voila!




Hand Soap gifted by ol E.B himself! Promoting hygiene while teaching kids about Jesus – such an over achiever!

And there you go, all you little Easter Bunny Associates!
Enjoy putting your baskets together! X